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The Indian men's national team head coach Igor Stimac on Thursday, May 4, finalized his 27-player squad for the upcoming Hero Intercontinental Cup.
The highly-anticipated competition will take place from June 9 to 18 in the capital city of Odisha. India, who are placed at 101 in the FIFA Rankings, will face Lebanon (99), Vanuatu (164), and Mongolia (183) in the tournament.
Most of the expected names have featured on the squad list, while Vishal Kaith, Manvir Singh, Yasir Mohammad, Glan Martins, and Roshan Singh have been left out due to injuries.
However, a consistent performers who showcased their prowess previously for the national team or for their respective clubs have been snubbed during the selection process.
As the Blue Tigers prepare for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup challenge early next year, the inclusion of these players could have provided valuable alternatives.
Let's take a look at three players who made the final squad for the Intercontinental Cup:
#3 Bipin Singh Thounaojam (Right winger)
The explosive winger was an integral member of Mumbai City FC's miraculous ISL 2022-23 Shield victory, scoring seven goals and assisting twice in 22 matches.
His ability to get the better of opposition defenders and clinical decision-making in the final third makes his innvaluable to his club.
However, at the national level, Bipin Singh hasn't received a similar level of trust from head coach Igor Stimac. He has rarely featured for the Blue Tigers and has once again been snubbed in the build-up to the Intercontinental Cup.
With the likes of Liston Colaco, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Udanta Singh, who have underperformed in the league tremendously, being included in the lineup, Bipin will be feeling hard done by the exclusion.
#2 Asish Rai (Right-back)
Asish Rai has two consecutive Indian Super League (ISL) titles to his name now and yet the right-back hasn't managed to break into the national squad.
Yet again, the 24-year-old was snubbed by the selectors, although he was one of the top performers in the ATK Mohun Bagan squad.
His ability to constantly dart down the flanks and exploit the wide areas, makes him pivotal not just in the defensive but even in attack.
Even if he's not directly assisting goals, Asish Rai is heavily involved in the build-up play.
#1 Sivasakthi Narayanan (Center-forward)
Sivasakthi Narayanan has been an absolute counter-attacking machine under Simon Grayson in the Bengaluru FC side.
The 22-year-old started off the 2022-23 season with a blistering campaign in the Durand Cup, with five goals. Soon he broke into the ISL starting lineup and lit up the league with his marauding runs down the middle.
Sivasakthi scored six goals and assisted thrice in the ISL before being strechered off after a collision minutes into the grand finale. However, in the Super Cup, the Bengaluru FC starlet showed he was once again up and running.
Hence, his exclusion will come as a suprise to many.
